The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-11-25
BREAKING THE COLOR LINE
A Colored Prima Donna to Marry
Her Manager.

Mr.. J. A. ArneauX communicates the
following to the New York World: Fol-
lowing the example of Frederick Doug
lass, Miss Flora Batson, who is recog-
nized as the greatest female ballad
singer the negro race has thus far pro-
duced, will shortly marry white man,
the gentleman who has for several years
been successfully conducting colored
concerts, in which she has appeared as
the star. The happy groom is Mr..
James G. Bergen, who bears relation to
the Bergens after whom New JERSEYS
famous summer resort is named. Mr..
Bergen is a handsome man, of the
blonde type, and has seen about forty
FIVE summers. He was born in Peters
burg, Ill. About five years ago he con-
ceived the idea of organizing a concert
company of colored singers, to give con-
certs for the benefit of colored churches.
His idea was to give money prizes to
those who sold the highest number of
tickets, and certain sum from the net
profits of the concert to the church for
whose benefit the concert was given. By
this method he managed to always have
o.
made up of colored people.
At first Bergen tried the novel
method of having cOlored and white ar
lists appear together. Of the colored
artists there were Nine Nellie Brown
Mitchell, Adelaide @. Smith, and Nine.
Montgomery. Of the whites there were
the Silver Lake Quartet, with Marshall
P. Wilder as humorist. 1t may be re-
marked that in these concerts Mr..
Wilder achieved his first great success
as a funny man." The Silver Lake
Quartet and Mr.. Wilder finally with
drew, it is said, because they found it
more congenial to appear before intelli
gent white audiences with a strictly
Caucasian company. Mr.. Bergen then
employed all colored artists and sue
ceeded admirably. About two years
ago Mr.. Bergen heard the wonderful
voice of his intended bride, who was
then singing in a colored church choir
in Providence, r, l. H brought her to
New York and she electrified her
Since then she has been Mr..
Bergen's 'star." Mr.. Bergen has been
a widower about a year. He has a son
about II years old.
Miss Flora Batson WAS born in Wash (
ington twenty-three years ago. She be. |
gan to sing at 9 years of age. When |
she was years old she removed to Pro- |
r. l., with her mother, and |
there joined the Bethel church choir, of |
which she became the leading singer.
She sang for two years in the interest of
5torer College, at Harpers Ferry,
travelled with Thomas n. Doutnev, the |
lecturer, and has filed en-
sagements with Rev. Joseph Cook, of
Boston. She has never had any special
She has mezzo- soprano
1oice. When Mr.. Bergen makes her his
wife he will place her in a musical CON
'ervatory.
Much indignation is felt by the
,olored people, as the race in general is
opposed to prominent member marry
ng white person, but whatever may
De the feeling of either the colored or the
white people in the matter, it is certain
hat the alliance will be highly agreeable
o Manager Bergen and his Spouse"
When asked by the writer why, unlike
1er sex, she readily admitted the en-
,agement, he said she thought too
much of him to deny it. Mr.. Bergen
says he wishes to see the color line
broken, and if his action will contribute
20 that end he will bear the brunt.
1t is said that the profits from Miss
Batson's concerts have amounted to
80, 900